Our Story
by FangirlsDontDoTheCalmThing
Summary: {au, post Avengers movie forward with potential changes here and there, small ones, captain x oc} From a fateful meeting in a diner to the way they started to fall in love, nothing about this love story was simple or normal even. But for Steve and Lola (oc, Peggy's granddaughter), it's their story. FLUFFINESS ALERT. NO FLAMES PLEASE?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_Just Another Day_

The diner she worked in looked like something out of a 1940's movie but Lola wouldn't change a thing if she had to. The people she worked with were good and the people who came in on a regular basis for what her boss called a 'cup of joe' and a slice of pie, or fries and a burger of course, were even better. She'd been working there since she was about 15 (helping out to makea little money in the summer of course )and she'd come to New York to to live with her grandmother, Peggy, who'd moved there a long time before she ever came along. .

Now, at 23, that seemed like a lifetime ago, and naturally, she wasn't the smashing success that she'd idealistically insisted she'd be at 18 when she graduated from the private school her grandmother put her in, but she had managed to create her own cozy little life, one in which her past was nothing more than a bad dream at this point.

Her mistakes, the pain she'd lived through, her losses and everything else were all just that.. The past.

She was **finally** happy for once. Or as close as one comes to being really and truly satisfied.

Or that's what she thought at least until **he** came into the diner.

The day started off like any other day, she'd come in after the classes she'd been taking at a smaller junior college, for nursing, she wanted to be a registered nurse or an emergency room nurse, and she'd put on her apron, started serving people,just like always.

Her eyes caught on the news when she heard the news anchor saying something about a major news bulletin, and then proceeded to tell the world that almost the entirety of Manhattan had just somehow been destroyed.

The newsanchor didn't go into details, of course, but the gist of it was that something really weird had happened just the day before and they were just doing follow up stories now.

"The hell?" she squeaked as her boss and the owner of the diner, a lively old man named John said with a shrug, "Some of the guys are sayin it's aliens. I think it's just government related."

"What the hell happened though?" Lola asked as she turned to look at her boss, curiousity gleaming in her warm brown eyes. He shrugged and said "You saw the news girl, you know as much as I do."

"But according to that news reporter, Stark Industries had somethin to do with it.. Thought you were old buddies with Howard? You're always talking about how his son's as smart as a whip or something.. They didn't tell you anything?"

"Girl, you know as much as I do right now. Let's get ready.. Place might just get some business now, I reckon. Seeing as how over half those fancy places in Manhattan are closed or gone completely." her boss said gently as she nodded and turned her attention back to the screen where they were showing footage of the 'heroes' of this tragedy.

She gasped when she saw the costume and blinked, rubbed her eyes.

"Is that?"

"Mhmm.. Woke him up from his ice nap, I reckon.. Howard woulda been happier than hell to see him alive and kickin.. You know that man spent over half his lifetime lookin for where Captain might have landed when that plane crashed. Guess we know now, huh?"

"Apparently." Lola mumbled as a smooth and very masculine voice spoke up and said quietly, "Coffee? Black?" from the booth she'd been standing beside, gaping like an ass at the screen.

For a few moments she almost considered calling the facility her grandmother, Peggy, was living in, but then she thought about it and then the pain set in.. She couldn't call her grandmother and tell her that Steve was alive and well because Peggy had died not so long ago after a long and full life.

Besides, had Peggy still been alive, there'd be no sense in upsetting the only woman who'd ever been a constant part of her life, the woman who'd been responsible for raising her over at least half of her life when her mother got sick and died and her father was gone.

To her grandmother, though, the sun rose and set with Steve Rogers of the US Armed Forces.. And even though she'd moved on and lived a full and happy life for the most part, she'd lost a piece of her heart when that plane crashed over the ocean that day and she'd never seen Steve again.

And all of Lola's life, she'd grown up hearing all these romantic and adventurous tales of just what kind of a rare breed of man Steve was.

And now, apparently, he was alive and well.

For whatever reason, she felt a flutter of nervous excitement in her stomach as she thought about all the stories, all the times her grandmother had dragged her to the Captain America exhibit when it'd opened when she was much younger.

Steve cleared his throat and asked the waitress who stood next to his booth once more "Black coffee?" and when she turned around, it was almost like a punch to the gut.

The girl was almost the spitting image of Peggy. She looked so much like the woman he'd loved and probably lost that it made it hard to breathe for a few moments.

Lola looked over and gasped a little, speechless for a rare moment. But that quickly vanished as she looked from the screen where the footage of the Manhattan tragedy the night before still played on a loop, to Steve Rogers and then back again.

"It's on the house, hon." she said quietly as she practically raced away on shaking legs with a racing heart. He was here.. In the diner she worked in. Ordering coffee as if he hadn't saved half the freaking planet only hours before.

The man her grandmother lost a huge piece of her heart to.

The man Lola herself had idealized as a knight in shining armor and fantasized about when she got to those awkward teenage years when her horomones totally ruled her life.

"Need a black coffee out front, Johnny. We've got special guests.. Don't.. Don't look or anything.. Guy probably wants his privacy." Lola said in a rush as she poured the black coffee and then grabbed a slice of the freshly baked apple pie.

She walked back out to his booth and placed both in front of him then hesitated. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but her tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of her mouth right now which was not a normal thing for her. Normally, she'd speak her mind and not give a damn about the consequences.

"Thanks." Steve said as he looked at her, blinked and looked again before finally reading her nametag and saying with one of his better rugged smiles, "Lola."

She nodded and then slid into the booth as she said casually, "Pie and coffee are on the house. That was one hell of a thing you did out there. It's the least I can do." before sliding back out of the seat and going back to her usual routine.

She wasn't going to make an ass of herself by fawning over the guy or something, she could only imagine that it happened too much to the poor guy already. And she had a feeling that he came here to the diner tonight to be close to his old neighborhood, to have some peace and quiet.

He looked like he had a lot on his mind.

Steve watched her quietly as she made her rounds around the diner, taking orders, talking to people who undoubtedly came in every single day, laughing. Even the laugh sounded like Peggy's laugh.

It reminded him of the loss and that really stung.

She came back by and he spoke up, asked her quietly, "Can I have a refill?" to which she nodded just as quietly, then took the cup that sat in front of him, went to the back to refill it.

Moments later, another steaming hot cup of coffee sat in front of him and he asked her just as she was about to walk off, "Wanna sit down?"

She looked at him with a brow raised but slid into the empty bench seat on the other side of the booth then said solemnly, "It's not the best coffee in town, but it's not that crap they try and make you pay 10 bucks for over at Starbucks." mostly just to make conversation.

Steve managed a chuckle and then looked at her a few moments. The way he was looking at her made her body heat a little and she coughed, then asked him "You okay? You looked like you wanted to say something."

"Nothing, it's just.. You look so much like someone I used to know." Steve answered honestly as he took a sip of the coffee and blatantly ignored the ringing device he had no idea how to even use that sat on the table in front of him. For just a little while, he wanted to be a normal guy.

He'd come in this diner because it felt like home, it felt familiar. It didn't feel like the rest of this strange world he lived in now. And seeing this girl, Lola, in the diner just made him wonder what if..

What if he hadn't crashed the plane into the ocean?

What if he hadn't been frozen for almost 70 years?

What would he and Peggy have done?

Or would he even have wound up with Peggy?

He'd never know that now, he thought to himself as he looked at the waitress and then said "Sorry, it's just.."

"It's okay." Lola said as she looked at him and wondered for a few moments if she should tell him why that was, or if he even remembered that much about her grandmother to begin with.

For all she really knew, he could've had other girls during the war. She didn't know the whole story, she just knew what her grandmother had told her growing up.

Finally, she asked, just to satisfy her own curiousity, "Who do I remind you of?"while smiling at him gently, wondering what his answer might be.

"This girl.. Her name was Peggy."

Lola's throat closed up and she coughed at the shock she felt with his answer. She never thought she was as beautiful as her grandmother, of course, so to have him say that she reminded him of Peggy meant a lot to her.

"My grandmother's name was Peggy, actually.. She moved here from the UK after the war." Lola admitted as she watched his facial expression, curious to see how he'd take the news.

Steve looked at her, stunned. Then he asked quietly, "Did she... She had a good life, right?"

He knew bits and pieces, she'd told him that when he'd had her found and went to visit her recently, but he wanted to be sure. If Lola were Peggy's granddaughter, Lola would know, hopefully.

"She had an amazing life. That woman was something else. She raised me from the time I was probably 15.. My mom died, my dad walked out on us when I was younger." Lola explained as she laughed a little, then added "And she talked about you constantly. It's nice to finally meet you, Captain Steve Rogers." with a slightly amused smile as he laughed a little and then said "You're the girl in that picture by her hospital bed."

Lola nodded and said quietly, "I was probably 16 in that picture. Awkward, chubby.." while she leaned back against the pleather upholstered booth bench and then asked quietly, "What was she like? I mean before you two got split up during that crash?"

Steve chuckled and then said "Feisty.. She definitely stood her ground with me and everyone else. She had to be back then, there weren't many women working with government agencies like Shield."

"Yeah, she hardly talked about that. I was always curious about how her life was back then. I think I grew up believing my grandmother was one of those glamourous femme fatales like in the old movies?" Lola admitted with a sheepish laugh as she twisted a strand of hair around her index finger, bit her lower lip.

"She was but she wasn't." Steve admitted as he looked at Lola and asked "What was she like when you were living with her?" mostly to satisfy his own curiousity about the woman he'd pretty much fallen head over heels with back then.

Lola laughed, her laugh sounded just like Peggy's, it both warmed him and hurt like hell to hear. Then she answered, "Well, she was a fireball.. She definitely didn't take any crap from anyone, especially me. I gave her a hard time at first, I was confused, I'd just lost my mom and my dad didn't want me around, so I was hell on wheels for a while. But we started to bond and she took more of an interest in my life than pretty much anybody ever had. She supported my dreams, even the stupid ones.. And she loved you so much.. I mean she loved Gramps too, but there was this piece of her heart that was all yours." while folding a napkin, mostly to occupy her hands.

She pushed the origami rose at him and said with a shrug "She taught me to do that. She told me she'd seen you before she... But I thought it was some kind of bizarre hallucination."

Her boss called her name and she dug around in her apron pocket and took out a red ink pen, wrote her number on it and sat it in front of Steve. "If you want to talk about her or something." she said quietly before calling out to her boss "Comin' Johnny, hold onto your pants, sheesh." as she laughed a little and made her way to the back of the diner.

He sat there a few moments longer, looking at the number in front of him. Then he stood and walked out, blending in with the heavy crowd on the sidewalk, going back to his own apartment nearby.

Maybe he would call her later. She looked like she was hurting from the loss, or like something was bothering her, as much as he was right now.

And he got this feeling that Peggy would want someone looking out for her granddaughter.

Lola finished her shift and walked out of the diner, got into her fully restored Mustang convertible and sat there thinking about her run in with the Captain earlier. In the end, she ultimately wrote it off to sheer coincidence.

She'd probably never see or hear from the guy again, which was a shame in itself. He looked so lost. And sad. She had no doubt in her mind now that her grandmother's love wasn't just one sided or unrequited, that they'd both felt it.. And for the first time in Lola's life, it gave her a little faith in the emotion love.

Not much, of course, she'd had scores of her own personal bad experiences to prove her otherwise, but it gave her a little.

She unlocked the door to her townhouse and walked in, shedding her shoes, her jacket and calling out to her friend, who was watching her 7 month old son, "Honey, I'm home." in a joking falsetto tone.

Her friend Brianna laughed and gave her a middle finger then said "Benji's asleep. He watched the news earlier, now he wants one of those red white and blue suits for his birthday. It was so cute, he kept pointing at the tv and gaping at the guy."

"At least he's not wanting to turn into a big green monster, huh?" Lola joked as she poured them both a shot of tequila and then asked "So.. Other than my son wanting to become a superhero somehow, how was your day?" with a slight grin.

"It was okay, I guess.. Daniel showed up. Tried to make a scene, got Benji upset." Brianna said as Lola swore and then asked quietly, "He was okay though?"

"I read him a story and he took a nap. He had a nightmare, I think, but it's understandable, Daniel's batshit crazy, girl, on a good day. He kept trying to make me let Benji leave with him."

"You called the cops?"

"And flashed my new handgun at him." Brianna said as she chugged one shot and poured herself another then asked "So..how was work?"

"Work was work.. Oh.. One of those guys came in.. One of the ones who saved the world from that thing that happened in Manhattan.." Lola said casually as Brianna froze in mid chug and said "No fucking way."

"As sure as I sit here, Brianna, that man in the red, white and blue suit came into the diner today." Lola said as she added "I talked to him."

"And?"

"And we talked. That's all. Nothin more to tell." Lola said as Brianna pouted and then said "You meet a fucking hero and you don't think to get his autograph?"

"He wanted privacy, Brianna, that's why he was even in a no name diner in Brooklyn in the first place."Lola persisted as she poured another shot for herself and then said "I'll go down to the precinct tomorrow before my rounds at the hospital and check on that restraining order."

"They put Daniel in jail, doubt he stays in. Girl, if your grandmother knew what this guy was like, she'd kick your ass.. You do know this, right?"Brianna stated as she sat her shot glass in the sink. Lola sighed and nodded then said quietly, "I wish I'd never met him, it's just.. I look at Benji and I think that's probably the only really good thing I've managed to do since I became an adult. Everything else I manage to screw up royally."

"You do realize that Daniel's not the only man left on earth.. Right? That they're not all bad.."

Lola narrowed her eyes and said pleadingly, "Don't, Brianna.. Don't make me cite examples and personal experiences I've had that prove that theory wrong. My grandma.. She was lucky, okay? She found two amazing men in her lifetime.. The most amazing man I have is Benji, my little guy."

"Speaking of.. Your dad called earlier."

"What'd he want?"

"Obviously, Lola, to talk to you." Brianna said as Lola laughed and then said with a small smile, "Good one, Brianna.. If he called, it's probably for money I do not have, or for something he thinks I can do for him. He's never actually wanted to be my dad. He didn't then, why the hell would he now?"

Brianna shrugged and then said calmly, "Not all men are your father or Daniel."

"But all the good ones are either dead, taken, gay or not interested." Lola said back just as calmly as she added stubbornly, "Besides, Brianna.. I don't need someone to validate my life. Never have, never will. Grams raised me alone."

"Because, Lo, your grandmother was a 60 something year old widow by then. At least. She didn't actually have a choice."

"Yeah? Well I think she did damn good all by herself. And so will I." Lola said stubbornly as she waved her friend off and said "Go home to your man. I'll be fine, I promise. Daniel's not stupid enough to come by tonight and try something."

"You're too brave for your own good sometimes, Lo."

"Nope, not really. Just sick of living in fear. If he wants me? Here I am. I can save myself. It's called a gun and jijitsu training." Lola joked but only partially.

Truth was, Daniel, her ex did terrify her. But she wasn't stupid enough to show it. If she showed it, he got the power over her. And Benji wouldn't have the mother or the life he deserved.

It went back to what her grandmother taught her about fear and how powerful it was as both a tool and a motivator.

If someone knew they scared you, they could use it to take control of you.

If you had fear, but you didn't show it, and you let it motivate you instead of control you, you were pretty much unstoppable.

The old woman had been completely right about that.

Just like she'd been right about Captain Steve Rogers.

Lola sighed as she walked up the stairs to her room and for once wondered why there were not many honest to god good men left in the world.

And in the back of her mind, she wondered for a little while, why she couldn't have been born in the era her grandmother was born in, why she couldn't have met an amazing man like Steve.

But she pushed the thought out of her head as quickly as it'd come in. Today was just a coincidence and odds were she wouldn't ever see the man again.

He was far too busy saving the world, fighting the bad guys,if the local nightly news was anything to go by.

And besides, if she did see him again, it wasn't like anything magical would happen. Not with Lola, who'd only had a few lucky breaks in her life.

Bad luck just tended to find her.

Why then, did today feel like a moderately luckier day than most? Like a day she wouldn't soon forget?

Steve sat looking at the slip of paper while Tony Stark talked to Dr. Banner about something. When someone asked him a question, he looked up blankly and then said quietly, "I wasn't listening.."

"We know that, Capsicle.. But what we asked was what are you looking at?"

Steve glared at Tony's nickname and then shoved the paper into his leather jacket's pocket as he said calmly, "Nothing.. Nothing that's your business."

"We're a team now, a family." Tony said, mocking Fury's earlier 'motivational speech' of sorts to a T almost as he asked again, "And teams can't work with secrets.. We established this, remember?"

"Yeah? Well this is personal, okay? As in none of your business, Stark."

"Ooh, he's getting defensive."

Steve stood and walked out of the room, going to seek solace in his fitness area of the tower.

It wasn't his fault Tony made him want to strangle him alive. That was all Tony's fault.

From the doorway, Natasha spoke up and said quietly, "I heard.. About Peggy. I'm sorry." as he nodded and tried to pretend he was fine that things didn't hurt, that he wasn't miserable trapped in a world that was unfamiliar to him, without her.

But it really, really did bother him.

He thought of the phone number and of meeting Lola again, but he shoved that out of his mind. It was just his misplacing feelings, that was all. They met by accident, she probably had a good life.

He wasn't sure how it'd work anyway, even if he were interested in even if he were, everything was too strange to him right now, he'd never felt more out of place in his life. Or more useless, powerless.

Sure, he'd just saved a major part of a big city from an untimely destruction, but he'd also just lost the only woman he'd ever actually loved. He'd been powerless to stop it from happening. Just like he'd been unable to keep them from being seperated all those years ago.

He was alone now.

And he wasn't sure how he felt about anything anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

_A Not So Accidental Meeting_

The bells above the diner's door chimed and Lola ran in, late, gasping for breath, soaked in the downpour. She called out to her boss, Johnny, "Sorry I'm late, damn car quit on me.. Had to walk 2 blocks in the rain after I called a tow truck."

"Wouldn't happen, Lola, if you'd just meet a nice guy and let him take care of ya." Johnny quipped, only to be met with a roll of the warm and almost chocolatey brown eyes as she snorted in laughter and said calmly, "Show me a nice guy, Johnny, I'll show ya at least twenty different reasons why he's not actually a nice guy.. There's only 2 men I trust, 3 if I count you, of course."

She didn't say the names, but Johnny, for some reason or another, felt like actually pushing for an answer this morning, and he asked casually, "Yeah? Well who are these 2 other men?"

"Nobody you need to know, of course as far as one of 'em goes.. But my grams, she was lucky.. She knew 'em both."Lola shot back, seeing that cat that ate the canary grin on Johnny's face as he said in a calm and quiet tone, "We got VIP in here today." and nodded to a table where Steve Rogers sat, eating one of the breakfast specials, sipping a cup of hot black coffee.

She quirked a brow. It'd been almost 2 weeks now, most of the shops and things in Manhattan were open and working again. Yet there he sat eating a mediocre and greasy breakfast, sipping what had to be the crappiest coffee in Brooklyn.

"Came in earlier, he's been just sittin there like he's waitin on something." Johnny said as he smirked at her knowingly.

"Right.. A fucking hero's gonna come all the way here to see me. It's probably Claudia's chocolate silk pie." Lola mused as she bit her lower lip and tied her apron, set to work clearing off the other tables in her station.

She'd walked past his table and he spoke up, indirectly.. "It's coming down out there, huh?"

She stifled a laugh and nodding, looked down, a mischevious twinkle in her eyes as he looked up at her, concerned. "Heard you saying you walked two blocks in this?"

"I'm a big girl, mister. Happens almost all the time. It's kinda what I get for not trading in my wheels for something more modern. Least that's what Johnny said. Rain's not so bad, really. But yeah, it is comin down out there."

They held each other's gazes for a few moments and then Johnny calling her name had her snapping out of it, getting back to work.

He found himself watching her again, the way she flitted around the diner, talking to the few patrons who were loyal and braved the rain to come grab a bite to eat. He listened intently, trying to see what he could learn about her without asking her a million questions.

The little he did know about her, sadly, was from what Fury told him. For some reason or another, Peggy insisted Fury look after her granddaughter in the months before her death, she seemed worried about Lola for some reason or another.

And then Fury called him in and basically told him that Peggy only wanted Fury to check around and look in on Lola until Steve was able. She'd been adamant they meet again for whatever reason.

Now, here he sat. The team had no pressing assignments, Fury's only advice to him had been to try and deal with his losses, adjust to this time period, try to take full advantage of his second chance at life.

And he couldn't lie, he knew he was lucky, because nobody ever got a second chance to relive the prime of their life.

He was.

He'd be an idiot not to take it, he was starting to realize.

"How's that little boy of yours?" another woman asked Lola who smiled softly and said "Benji is about to turn two. He's not going through the terrible part of it yet.. This week, he wants to play for the Yankees.. Oh, or be a superhero. Wants that blue suit, the armor, the whole nine for his birthday Saturday. Guess I'll be firing up my Grams sewing machine tonight when he's asleep."

Steve listened quietly, wondering if that meant Lola was married or seeing someone. The other woman's next statement pretty much answered that bit of curiousity when the woman said calmly, "That bum Daniel will regret it one day."

"Sadly, Ms. Fuller, I doubt he ever will. But hey, it's his loss. I got the only good part of the bastard."

"It's like Johnny says though, Lola.. Not all of 'em are bad. My Buddy, god rest his soul.." the woman said as Lola laughed a little and then said pointedly, "Been burned twice. Just not in a hurry to make it a third time. Besides, no guy wants a ready made family or all my issues. And the day I find one who can put up with me.." she trailed off as Johnny waved her off and said "will be the day hell freezes over.. we know, we know, we all hear it, all the time."

Steve chuckled to himself a little. He had no doubt that from what he did know about her, through observations mostly, through the last letter he had gotten from Peggy before her death, he knew that she was a handful.

She'd made her mistakes and she'd actually lived her life. She was probably as jaded as he was now that he found himself in this new era where everything was superfast, automatic, instantly gratified.

For different reasons, of course, but he could relate to the cynicism she obviously felt about quite a few things.

A jukebox started in the back of the diner and an oldies song started to play. Lola groaned and shook her head as an older man, Jimmy, approached her and asked with a joking grin, "Swing with an old man? Come on, girl, you went off to those fancy dance classes for a while there, you know how to do it."

Lola shook her head and called out mischeviously, "You sure you oughta be doing that at your age, Mr. Jimmy?"

"I may be old, girl, but I've got life left in me." the man insisted. Luckily, Johnny saved her from actually having to swing dance with the man when he said "Jim, the girl's got tables to wait.. Besides, you'd step all over her toes."

Steve chuckled and turned his head slightly, watched her as she said with a smile to the man, Jimmy, "Maybe later, huh? I was taught by the best dancer alive." before skipping away a little, eyes sparkling with merry mischief.

As she walked back past his table, Steve spoke up again and asked "Can I get another coffee?" which made Lola nod, their eyes got locked in each other's eyes again like earlier, and for some reason, in the back of her mind, she'd almost swear she heard her grams giving her some kind of otherworldly peptalk.

"Yeah.. Black, right?"

He nodded and she set off to get him his second coffee, humming a little as she did so. She sat the steaming mug down in front of him again and then said "They're a lively bunch today."

"Yeah, they seem like it. They seem to know you really well." Steve mused as he looked at her. She smiled and nodding said "They should.. The saying goes, Captain, it takes a village to raise a child. Those people were my grams village. I've worked in this diner since I was 15 and got it in my head that I wanted Gramps old car." making him laugh.

"So.. What brings you by again?" Lola asked as she sat down to rest a moment, holding his gaze. She pulled no punches, she never had. And she figured that if he were in here, there was a reason other than the food. She was curious, so naturally, she asked. He chuckled and then said "And I see that like Peggy, you don't hold back."

"Got no reason to." Lola said as Steve sipped his coffee and looked out the window a moment before answering quietly, "This is the only place I don't feel out of place in. It feels like the time I left behind, the time that everything made sense in."

Lola smiled and then added "That chocolate silk pie helps though." as Steve laughed a little, nodded in agreement. He'd tried the pie, it was among the few best kinds he'd ever eaten, he had to admit that.

Lola's eyes went to the clock and she looked at the door. "My son.. My neighbor usually brings him for lunch."

Steve nodded and waved off the explanation and asked casually, "How old is he?"

"He'll be two Saturday. And I'm dreading the next 16 years. I wanna keep him a baby forever, ya know?" Lola said as she held out her phone and showed Steve a picture of her son Benji. Steve smiled and said with a laugh, "He's a cute kid." as he wondered for a moment _'If I'd lived and not taken an ice nap.. Would Peggy and I have had a kid?' _and sipped his coffee.

He finished and stood, went to pay for his food. Lola stood and was intent on getting back to work but Steve said to her "It was nice to see you again. I sort of hoped I'd bump into you if I came here today. You remind me a lot of Peggy." before disappearing out the door and into the rain.

Lola stared after the door, hand in thick brown hair, perplexed. What made him come by? He'd told her but she just got this strange feeling there was more to it than just what he said.

"It's probably nothing, he's probably just lonely, misses Grams." she muttered as she got back to work.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

_To Call Or Not To Call_

He knew he couldn't just keep showing up at the diner she worked in, he'd already been there quite a few times this week and that'd made the diner's owner Johnny ask him a long list of questions, he got the feeling the elderly man was up to something, some kind of potential matchmaking scheme, and he got the feeling that Lola suspected he showed up because he had alterior motives.

And given what he knew about what she'd been through in recent years and in her younger years, he didn't blame her for suspecting that. Because the truth was, he did have alterior motives.

She felt familiar.

Maybe it was the fact that she was a living piece of a past he'd die to go back to, or maybe it was just the way she looked so much like the woman he'd left behind in that past, before he ever got a chance to tell her how he felt.

Either way, he felt more comfortable around her than he did anywhere else currently.

And he didn't like having an alterior motive, but in this case, it was better, he figured, if for now at least, if he let it go unvoiced.

He sat with the phone in his hand and the napkin in the other hand. The others were currently playing 5 card stud for money, and Dr. Banner, of course, was reading a book or something.

He'd opted out of the game thinking he'd slip out of the room and at least try to call her with some privacy. But it was no such luck. Tony, who was in his usual antagonistic mood tonight, and drinking, of course, called out "C'mon Capsicle.. You were military, you had to have played a few hands of cards in your day."

"I'm not interested." Steve said through gritted teeth as he went back to staring a hole through the napkin.

A few moments later, Tony asked him "What are you doing anyway?"

"None of your busines, Stark, damn it." Steve said through gritted teeth as Tony muttered something about how a lack of sex made a man cranky.

He grumbled and turned, fully prepared with a witty rebuttal but Tony said with a smirk "Just call the girl, damn." as he waved his hands in Steve's direction. "How the hell did you know anything?"

"You carry that napkin everywhere, Steve. So I looked at it earlier when you went to grab yourself a beer. Who is she?" Tony inquired with a curious grin as Clint elbowed him and said mockingly, "Let's not make him mad."

"But I want to know what girl has Captain America, the original superhero, up in arms. She's gotta be amazing." Tony trailed off as Natasha kicked him in the shin beneath the table and added her own input, told Steve "Girls love it when a guy says he'll call and actually does. Just saying." as she threw down her cards on the table and proceeded to rake the matches they'd been playing for towards her making the other males actually at the table, especially Thor grumble collectively.

"She cheated."

"How the hell did I cheat?"

"You did, Natasha."

"If I cheated, Stark, prove it."

Steve ducked out of the room and stood leaning against a hallway wall, debating for a few moments. Now Natasha's advice was bouncing around in his head as well as Tony's childishly stupid taunts from the next room.

"I know what the hell I'm doing. Don't need advice from a manwhore." Steve muttered to himself as he dialed the number.

Deep down, he wondered what it was exactly about Lola that he couldn't get out of his mind.

The phone ringing woke Lola up and she fumbled around on the nightstand for a few moments, swearing aloud in her dimly lit bedroom, the television set sitting on top of a dresser paused on An Officer And A Gentleman, a romantic movie she particularly liked.

"Hello?"

"Hi.. It's not too late. Right?" Steve asked as Lola raised a brow and held out the phone, her heart pitterpattering away at a rapid and uneven rate in her chest. It did this a lot when he was around, or it had been.

Which made her mad, really. She was a damn adult now, she should be able to supress and bury any and all urges where her grandmother's 'dream man' (And her own, though she'd never dare admit it to herself or anyone, it was just too odd to her, and she also didn't want to feel anything for a man, not again, not ever if she could help it.) were concerned.

"Nah. I was just lying around, being lazy, watching a movie." Lola offered as she yawned and waited, thinking that the captain was nothing if not tactful. At least that's what her grams had always told her about him.

He saw no reason to hide why he was calling, after all, they were in the same boat where their loss was concerned, right?

_'Come off it, Rogers, you know there's something more to it. It's not just missing Peggy.. It's the way Lola makes you feel, damn it, without even trying to make you feel anything.' _ he thought to himself as he said quietly, "You said if I ever needed to talk to you I could call." making it a point to get right down to what he felt (hoped? Thought?) had to be the reason he couldn't get Peggy's younger lookalike, her granddaughter, out of his mind presently.

"Yeah.. What's up? You're okay, right?" Lola asked, surprised at the concern that rushed over her, the worry. She knew that he took huge risks with his own life and safety to protect everyone else on the planet.

Had he been hurt?

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just.. I was lonely." Steve admitted, not ashamed of admitting it in the least. He'd been taught as a young man not to beat around the bush. Or hide his true intentions.

Not like so many did now days.

Everybody, it seemed like, to him at least, in this new era, wore some kind of mask, kept themselves private for the most part, only showing and telling what they thought others wanted or needed to hear and see, needed them to be.

Lola sighed as she thought to herself _'Ahh, so he's just lonely.. I remind him of the woman he loved back then and lost recently. Now it all makes 's reaching out because everything about this era is new to him and he misses his old life. It's nothing to do with me, so much as it is just how much I look like her.' _while for a moment or two actually envying her grandmother.

"Are you okay, Lola?" Steve asked as he heard the sigh. He looked at the phone, went back over in his head what he might have done to make her sad or hurt, because that sigh almost sounded.. Wistful.

Pained, even.

_'She was just being nice, Rogers. You calling her only reminds her of the grandmother she loved more than anything and how she's lost her too. Maybe you should hang up now. Forget this whole thing, work through this overwhelming grief and your feelings towards Lola stay buried, on your own.'_

He was prepared to hang up his phone but she said with a light laugh "I'm fine. Just damn tired is all. You miss her too, huh?"

"I do." he admitted honestly, but added as a quick afternote, "But I wanted to talk to you."

Lola looked at the phone, brow raised as she thought to herself quickly, _'Sure you do, Captain.. And if I believe that, do you have a bridge in Texas to sell me too? Only time men ever wanna talk to me is to make excuses, to lie, to say things to hurt me. I barely know you, mister, so why in the hell should I assume you are any different?' _while sitting up in bed, taking a sip of the tea that sat on her nightstand. While she sipped and listened to him fumbling through a conversation starter topic of some sort, she thought she could hear her grandmother nagging at her deep down, _**'He's not like that, Lola. He's never been dishonest a day in his life. Well, he's not being entirely forthright right now, with why he's calling, but you let Grams take care of that, will you love? This was supposed to happen. I wanted it to happen, damn it. Now it will, one way or another.'**_

Lola brushed off the shock of hearing her recently departed grandmother's clipped and soft British drawl rattling around in the recesses of her mind as an astounding lack of sleep. Which she was suffering from, she'd always suffered from it, actually.

She never could honestly figure out why, she just usually put it off to a mind too full for it's own good not knowing when to shut off and let her sleep.

Or work.

Or worrying about her actually being the good mother to her son Benji that she hoped to God and prayed daily that she was but secretly feared she wasn't.

Any of those things could make her sleepless, sh figured, just had to take her pick and blame whichever one she felt was the culprit at any given moment.

Tonight, it was fear. She'd come home to find out that Daniel managed to break in despite her having changed the locks, and he'd stolen things.

And trashed her house childishly, of course.

"How was work?" Steve asked, mentally kicking himself. He was not the same dork he was back then. And he'd be damned if he let a little thing like lack of conversation skills on his part stop him from at least trying to get to know Lola.

She laughed and said with amusement, "After you left, this coworker of mine came in, pouted all afternoon because I made her wait tables on my station with all the locals rather than the table full of mechanics that were on their lunch break. Said it wasn't fair."

"The same one you were arguing with Tuesday, right?" Steve asked, Lola gaping at her phone in shock. He'd noticed that?

Had he been sitting there just watching her or something. Her pulse began to race again, quicker this time, it almost sounded like tidal waves crashing in her ears.

"Mhmm.. She was mad because she's gotta work the weekend, thanks to me. Taking off for my boy's birthday. Not everyday your little guy turns two."

"Ahhh.. Two, huh?"

"Mhmm.. I actually mentioned that on Thursday, when you came in and drank us right out of black coffee, sir." Lola mused as he bit his lip and muttered a sheepish apology then explained, "That's the only place I actually feel at home. I don't feel it at work, I don't feel it in my own apartment."

"Yeah, I kind of guessed that about you, especially when that phone of yours kept ringing and you stared at it as if it'd grown three heads then swore a little and shoved it out of your pocket." Lola blurted as she quickly apologized and said with a light laugh, "Sorry, I just.. It was odd.. A little cute."

Had she really just said that?

"I didn't mean... Ahh, hell.. I'm still no better at this talkin to a guy thing than I was when I was a teenager." she apologized as he chuckled on his end and said "And neither am I. I mean back then, I had Bucky to help me out.. Now? I got nothing.. I have to rely on my charm.. I apparently don't have any when I'm not saving all of upper Manhattan." Steve said as Lola laughed and said quietly, "Girls nowdays, Steve.. They're a different breed. I don't count of course, took myself off the market."

"Why?"  
"Because.. I'm a romantic accident waiting to happen.. Besides, I'm too stubborn, not skinny enough, not dumb enough and I have a kid already. Most men don't like smart girls who speak their minds and aren't afraid to raise their kids by themselves. They also really don't like it when your kid comes before them."

"Most of them." Steve countered as he said "I think it's a good thing you do that."

"Thanks." Lola muttered, raking a hand slowly through her hair as she added, "Oh, can't forget, I'm stubborn, I don't like a man babying me.. Don't like anyone babying me, actually."

_'And neither did your grandmother.' _Steve thought to himself as he filed it away for future reference.

"So.. What's it like?"

"What?"

"Being a hero?" Lola asked curiously as he laughed and then said casually, "I'm just another kid from Brooklyn. Just got luck on my side back then and now, even, that's all. Nothing special about me."

"There had to be, Steve.. My grams loved two men in her whole life other than her father.. My gramps and you." Lola admitted, grumbling as she realized that to anyone else, that too could sound like she was coming onto him and she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

Steve was floored by the notion that he'd been that important to Peggy when she'd still been alive. He felt hurt, guilty and worst of all, he missed her more than anything now, because he hadn't known until just now, that he'd actually had a place in her heart.

She'd been complicated to figure out, she didn't just say things.

Then, if he thought back, it wasn't what she said, back then.. It was what she'd done, for him.

"She was happy, right?"

"Oh yeah, very.. Used to tell me all the time how I'd find a guy just like one of you. Sad to say, she'd be kicking my ass all over the Brooklyn Bridge, sir, if she could see the mess I've managed to make of my life now." Lola sighed as Steve said solemnly, "I doubt that. She would be trying to help you, trying to fix things for you though. I have no doubt about that."

"And she'd tell you, sir, that you served the time owed. It's time to actually live your life. She actually told me once that if she could ever see you again, she'd make it a point to tell you that."

He bit his lower lip and then said quietly, "I know this is changing the subject.. But since you're off tomorrow.. And I have no assignments.. I thought we could meet at the park or something?"

"My son... He's.."

"Bring him with you." Steve said calmly as he smiled and said "Relax.. It's not a date, if that helps.. It's just two people getting to know each other, becoming friends." as his heart hammered around in his chest for some reason totally foreign to him.

Why was he so nervous she'd turn him down?

"If that's okay." Lola said as he smiled and then said "About lunchtime?"

"Works for me.. I can make us a picnic or something. Benji's been after me to take him to the playground anyway. He's a real smart kid for the age of two."

"I can't wait to meet him." Steve said quietly as they talked a bit longer, then he reluctantly hung up.

She'd said yes.. Now, did he proceed or not? How did he know if this was right or wrong? He had so many mixed feelings right now..


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

_It's An Undate_

"So what do you mean you asked her to meet you? As in here?" Tony asked, an amused smirk on his face as Steve glared and said with a shake of his head calmly, "Nope. The park near her place and the diner. With her son, Benji."

"Benji's a dog's name." Tony said as he raised a brow, more curious than ever about this mystery girl that Steve seemed hell bent on keeping all of them from. Steve glared and said "It stands for Benjamin."

"But his nickname's a dog's name."

"He's two, Tony, damn it. What's with all the questions?" Steve asked, irritated as Tony replied in amusement, "Just thought I could give you some words of wisdom.. I mean women of this era, Steve.. They're not like the girls from your time. And I happen to know how to handl-" his voice trailed off as Steve glared and said through gritted teeth, "You know how to seduce what I'm trying to do here. I mean at least I think that's not what I want... I don't know what I want, I do know that I'm gonna do this my own way."

"Like it's so much better, Capsicle. Maybe a good roll in the hay.." Tony started as Steve pocketed the keys to his motorcycle and walked out, door slamming to the tower behind him.

"I tried, Jarvis. He's gonna be so lost." Tony chuckled as he poured himself a midday scotch and sipped it slowly, trying to figure out just why Steve was keeping the girl a secret from them when she already knew about him, about his being a superhero.

One advantage, he thought to himself, by being hidden behind an iron mask. He didn't have to reveal his identity unless he absolutely wanted it to happen. Now everyone knew of course, but that was beside the point.

Steve drove to the park and sat waiting. He smiled to himself as Lola walked up carrying a little boy who was decked out in a Yankees t shirt, denim overalls and a pair of red converse with a red cape.

"You made it." Steve said as Lola laughed and then said politely, "We're a little late. Damn car again."

"This guy I know.. He's good with them." Steve said as she nodded then grinning said "And I'm not totally helpless underneath a hood, Steve." as they walked towards the playground after hitting up a hotdog stand for something to snack on.

Benji reached out for the man with his mommy. He hadn't seen his daddy that much, the man usually came when he was sleeping, Benji sensed it was because his daddy didn't actually like him.

That his daddy was sort of jealous of him. And had he a better vocabulary than his limited toddler speak, he'd have cried on the few handfuls of times that he had actually seen his daddy, because frankly, the man was mean looking and scary.

Not like this man who smiled and it made his eyes kind of dance around a little. On a toddler's instinct, Benji warily reached for him and the man chuckled and then took him but only after Lola warned Steve, "He's a messy eater."

"Kinda like his mom, huh?" Steve teased as he pointed to a mustard spot on Lola's cheek, she swore under her breath as she dabbed at it. Her stomach was all aflutter right now, she didn't like the way Steve made her feel because she'd strictly promised herself that nobody would ever do that to her, get in like that and hurt her or her son again. That she'd do whatever it took to keep men away from her from here on out. Between her own experiences with a deadbeat father who'd ran and now was only partially in her life and only when he was in some county's lockup and needed a few bucks to get out.. And then there was Benji's father, Daniel, who was probably one of the best actors and the meanest son of a bitch in all of New York.

Suffice to say, Lola was doing her damndest to ignore those little flutters of her heart whenever his ice blue eyes locked on her warm brown ones. But damn it if it didn't feel like her skin was burning each and every single time they accidentally touched.

Like when Benji wanted the swings and Steve offered to push him after Lola reluctantly handed Benji to him.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Steve, no, far from that. It was that she didn't trust herself not to get too caught up in Steve.

That was one of her many faults, sadly. She tended to trust too easily, love too much. She didn't think things through properly a lot of the time and sadly, now her son was going to pay because of that, he had a bastard for a biological father.

Good thing Daniel rarely made an effort to see him, Lola reasoned.

"So.. What superhero are you supposed to be today, little guy?" Steve asked the little boy who said simply, "Superboy."

Steve laughed and Lola explained, "He actually thinks he's the next Captain America. Brianna told me he was completely engrossed with the tv when they showed that footage from whatever happened up in Manhattan. Said he pointed and babbled when they showed you and that other guy with the iron bodysuit."

"Iron Man?" Steve asked with a pretend pout as Lola shrugged and said "He's just going through that age. I let him have his time to be a kid.. I mean before I came to live with her, my grams.. I didn't really have a childhood."

Steve studied her a moment, almost tempted to ask her what'd happened, but he knew that it wasn't his place to pry either and given how reluctant she was to talk about her life or herself for the moment, he figured it'd be best if he waited.

Lola sighed as she said quietly, "My mom drank a lot. My dad was a lawyer and he kinda cheated around a lot, I guess my mom turned to alcohol to kind of... Nevermind, you don't wanna know this."

"Why not? It's part of what makes you who you are." Steve offered, remembering the tip he'd gotten once from Bucky, then had reverberated by Dr. Banner earlier. Women liked a guy who'd listen.

And he really did want to know evrything about her, he was realizing that now. And it made him have mixed emotions. On the one hand, there was a sense of guilt because Peggy wasn't even cold yet.. On the other, he could hear her almost crystal clear in his mind nagging at him to move on, take the second chance he'd been given because those didn't come around too often. He could also hear her reminding him that things happened for a reason.

Did this, his meeting Lola that day in the diner, when it felt like his entire world was unravelling at the seams, happen for a reason?

Either way, he was making a friend, this was something he needed and wanted. Someone to talk to so things didn't get crazy for him. Being in this era was enough to drive even the sanest of men insane, he'd deduced since awakening from his involuntary ice nap.

"My dad ran off and then his life went to hell for him. For a while, he came around a little, he tried.. But gradually, the visits got to be less and less because my mom.. She wasn't in the best shape and I think it made him feel guilty for leaving her.. I don't really understand completely what really happened, I was too young, maybe a little older than my own son is now.. I just know that I grew up before most kids did."

He felt bad for her.

He wanted to comfort her because it looked like just admitting the stuff out loud was draining on her. But he kept his hands off for now.

_'She's already skittish, Steve. No sense in rushing things, forcing yourself on her. Besides, you don't even actually know how you feel about her.' _he reminded himself as he nodded and said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm fine, hell, I got over it. I more than made up for it all when I got to come and live with my grams." Lola laughed a little as she added, "And I'm sorry. You invite me out, it's a nice day and I'm being a downer. What's it like? Having to adjust to all this?" she asked as she snickered and gestured at a heavily pierced and tattooed teenage male who looked at them with a look that clearly indicated that he thought he was really hot shit, that he'd never be a lame adult.

Lola could picture the guy now, at her own age, regretting all the holes and ink. Wondering why in the hell he dyed his hair so many fucked up colors. "That kid will regret at least one of his life decisions." Lola stated matter of factly as she nodded and Steve looked, shocked for a moment, shaking his head.

"Most likely."

"I did when I got to the age I am now. I was in such a damn hurry to be an adult.. Figured what the hell, never got to be a child.. Now I regret some of the stupid things I did." Lola admitted as she said in a whisper, "Benji doesn't know.. I got a tattoo or two myself. Keep 'em hidden from him."

Steve laughed and said with a shrug, "You must keep them hidden really well then."

"I do, Steve." Lola said as she said with a shrug "My grams.. She gave me hell for both of them. Told me that one day I'd wish I hadn't done it."

"I bet she did."Steve remarked, smiling at her as he held her gaze. For some reason, he found himself leaning in. The breeze was blowing her bangs from behind her ear where she kept them tucked. One strand fell into her eye.. Her hair looked so soft, he told himself later, that he just hadn't been able to resist the temptation to reach out, tuck the hair behind her ear again.

She bit her lower lip and looked up at him with a confused and slightly afraid look in her eyes. She'd flinched just the slightest, it confirmed Steve's suspicions about this Daniel creep that Peggy had told him about the last time he'd seen her, before she died.

She'd talked about Lola constantly then, Steve had to admit that he did know more about Lola than Lola thought he did.

Not about her childhood, because according to Peggy, she'd kept that part of herself closed off, even from her.

"I.. Thanks." Lola muttered as she looked at him and then smiled. Inside she was cursing herself for not being able to resist just a small touch from the guy. She hated what she felt because every single time she felt it, she let someone in, she wound up looking like the idiot.

And now she had too much to worry about to take any risks.

But why was her heart saying the exact opposite? And which one did she listen to this time? How was she supposed to figure it out, she wondered when the woman who was her rock, the person who she went to with all her dilemmas, was gone?

She sighed and said quietly, "Sorry.. I just.. It's habit."

Steve nodded in understanding and before he could stop himself he blurted out "It's because of that guy? Your ex."

"Among others." Lola admitted as she took a bite of her hotdog and then said "Okay, so let's talk about you, soldier.. What bugs you most about this era?"

"The damn cell phones." Steve said without thinking as they both looked at each other and laughed as Lola said "Me too.. I especially hate those smaller ones. I'm eithr losing the damn thing or it's " Steve chucked and finished with her "Falling in water, which is not a good thing for them, apparently."

"No, it's not." Lola laughed as he pushed Benji and she watched him.. If she weren't such a jaded and closed off girl..

She could really get used to having days like this, non complicated, happy ones, with him.

_'which is exactly why you need to slam on those brakes, girl. He might be a good guy, but he might just be using you to fill the void your grams left. The poor guy was almost sick with grief, anybody could see it when they looked at him.' _Lola warned herself as she watched him and couldn't help the smile that came to her face.

Baseball being played on a nearby baseball diamond caught Benji's attention and he tugged the man's white t shirt sleeve and pointed, Steve chuckled and Lola groaned.

"Don't tell me he's gonna be a jock." she muttered as Steve asked Benji "Wanna go watch? I like baseball too."

Benji nodded, his warm brown eyes excited as he said "we go?" looking at his mommy with pleading eyes.

Steve fixed those blue eyes of his on her too and finally, Lola relented and the three walked to the field, took a seat in the bleachers.

"They took all the fun out when they put all those stupid and unnecessary rules in. It's too damn complicated now." Lola said as Steve looked at her and she smiled then said "My grandpa.. He had Yanks tickets. We were at almost every home game until it got so he couldn't anymore."

Steve smiled. At least Peggy had a family, at least she'd known happiness. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear her telling him in her bossy tone, _'As could you, Steven my dear. If you'd only give it a try. Time won't be so kind to you forever, love, and even if it is, you don't want to squander a rare gift, a true clean slate, do you?'_

Then his grief kicked in and he felt bad for wanting to at least try to move on. But they could be friends, right?

Maybe he could do that, see where that lead.

No harm in friendship.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER SIX

_CAN'T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD_

Since their 'undate' as Tony called it just to make Steve angry or get under his skin, Steve hadn't been able to get Lola out of his head. He'd tried everything, he'd even stopped going by the diner so much thinking that maybe if he left her alone, out of sight, out of mind.

Only his stubborn mind didn't see it that way. And as he sat in the towers, staring out the window, only halfway listening to Fury going on and on about something, Tony arguing with Fury as always, he realized that whatever was going on wasn't going to just be ignored.

"Earth to Capsicle.. Come in, Capsicle. Did you hear a damn thing Fury just said?" Tony asked as Steve looked up and nodded then said "Don't start on me, Tin Man. You hardly listen to anything anyone says."

"Someone's extra cranky today." Tony mused as he poured himself a Scotch and fixed his gaze on Steve, an amused and smug smirk on his face. A smirk that Steve wanted to knock right off his face, because if he knew Stark like he'd come to know him, that only meant that Tony was about to start insinuating things, making Steve mad on purpose.

"So tightly wound.. Weren't you the one who was practically floating around here last week? What happened? That girl decide it was too weird?"

"What happened with us is none of your business, Tin Man.. But if you really want to know? I'm the one staying away."

Tony quirked a brow and then asked "Why in the hell would you do that?"

"Because, Tin Man, I don't wanna rush into something.I wanna do this my way."

"Your way is stupid, Capsicle."

"Your way is probably twenty times worse, Tin Man."

"At least I'd keep trying."

Steve glared, his teeth gritted, his shoulders back. If Thor hadn't walked in at that moment, humming and smiling, in one of his usual jovial moods, he usually was after he saw Jane, Steve just might have decked Tony Stark right in the nose.

But Thor walked in so Steve at least attempted to pretend that nothing Tony said was bugging him. Because if Tony Stark thought he was getting somewhere, he'd keep on until it drove someone batshit crazy.

Steve, unfortunately, seemed to be Tony's favorite target. What made Steve even madder was when Tony said casually, "You know I'm right. And it eats at you."

Which was true, naturally.

He didn't want it to be, but it was. Steve glared and Thor looked from man to man and chuckled, mused aloud "On Asgard, we fight."

Steve had the passing thought to just go for it but his calmer side prevailed and he said instead "Going to the gym."

"Sure you are." Tony taunted as Steve stopped to glare at him for a moment. The more time spent around the guy the harder the urge to deck him just one good time was to resist. His father, Howard, had been nothing like him when he'd known Howard.

But even Howard Stark had his slight faults.

Nothing as annoying as Tony, of course, but it went without saying.

"If he goes not to the gym then where will he go?" Thor asked which made Tony chuckle in amusement as he sipped another Scotch and said casually, "He's going, Thor, to see her.. That girl he's met at that diner he always goes to. And he owes me a thank you, to be quite honest. Because I was the one who made him mad enough to go and do it."

Thor raised a brow but fell silent. He didn't understand, of course, the complexity of human emotions just yet. All he knew was that he loved Jane. He knew what love was, and it was through Jane that he was learning more about the planet he'd been designated to protect.

"If the female makes him that angry.." Thor started as Tony chuckled and shook his head, said calmly, "It's not the female, Thor. It's the fact that for once, he's not totally in control of something. Or something like that."

Outside, Steve walked down the sidewalk. Once he stood by his bike, he debated a moment and started to just do as he'd said and actually go to the gym. But then Tony's words just now came back to him and with slight irritation, Steve realized that the Tin bastard was right about something for once.

He'd die and burn before ever admitting it to Tony, of course, but Tony was right. If he couldn't get Lola off his mind, there was a reason. And it was stupid to stay away and just give up.

He'd never given up before, why start now?

Second chances like his were almost never granted. And Peggy had her own happiness in the years he was on ice.

He wasn't betraying her, because she hadn't betrayed him when she'd found love and happiness. Or that's how he saw it at least.

Before he knew it, he was sitting in the booth he usually sat in at the diner and the owner, an older man named Johnny was walking over.

"She's not here, Rogers.. She called in about an hour ago, said Benji had a fever and was coughing a little.. Wanted to take him to a doctor just to make sure he was okay. Want me to tell her you stopped by?"

Steve stood and after paying for the coffee he'd barely touched he shook his head and said "Do you think she'll be home soon?"

"Probably if she's not already.. Told her to take the afternoon and tomorrow if she needs it. Kid's only got one parent. It ain't how it oughta be in my opinion but that girl lives and dies by her son so I guess he's getting the love a ma and daddy would give him, huh?"

Steve nodded, smiled a little and after thanking the diner owner, he set off for Lola's house and knocked a few times, pacing a little. The last time he'd even felt remotely this nervous was back when he thought Peggy was done with him over a misunderstanding.

Or any other time he tried to talk to a girl before he became the first ever superhero. Before the war, he'd been nervous around girls.

Fairly enough,the experimentation he'd undergone during the war had helped to make him bolder and a lot less awkward with females. But he'd met Peggy then too.. So he really couldn't rightfully say he had any experiences with another girl but Peggy.

That one girl who'd kissed him, the girls who came to the shows and flirted.. He had limited experience but for now, he chose to just go on instinct. It hadn't failed him in the war when he'd needed it most, he had to assume (and hope to hell too) that it wouldn't choose now to do so.

Lola thought she heard a knock on her door and raising a brow, she walked to the door, peeked through the small window at the top. She really raised a brow when she saw Steve standing there, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

Shocked, she opened the door and said with a raised brow, "Steve?"

"Johnny, he told me you were home today? It's okay I came by, right?" Steve asked politely as she nodded and said "Just put the little down for his nap.. Poor baby had to have a shot. He was brave though.. You can come in if you want. I was just about to clean up a little so if it's a zoo in here, sorry." as she stepped aside and let him walk into the house.

He smiled as he looked around, saw a literal ton of photographs, the way the house looked cozy. He'd been here at night the last time, he hadn't gotten to see the house on the inside, he'd pretty much just been a gentleman and walked Lola to her door then driven away.

The television played some soap opera that Steve thought he remembered seeing Natasha watch a few times back at the Towers and he looked around as she disappeared for a moment, arms full of what looked like laundry.

Lola cleared her throat when she walked back into the den. She'd assumed that when he hadn't called or come by the diner in a week or so that the novelty had worn off and she'd thought she could just accept that.

Seeing him, in her house, however, had her curious.

"So.. Any reason you came by?"

"Actually, yeah.." Steve said as he coughed and then said calmly, "I really tried to stay away.. I didn't want you to think I was stalking you or something, and I didn't want you to think that I was only talking to you because I missed Peggy.."

"Mhmm?" Lola asked with a raised brow as she looked at him pacing a little in her living room while she leaned in the door way wondering what he was attempting to say.

"Couldn't get you out of my head. I don't know why or what might happen, but I at least want to get to know you better.. If that's okay?" he finally said as she laughed a little then said with a soft and apologetic smile, "Whoa... It's okay, really.. I didn't mean to laugh it's just.. No reason to be nervous. And if you're wondering, I couldn't get you off my mind either.. Kinda thought you were bored or something." as she shrugged and looked at him.

"Benjamin.. He's okay, right?"

"Just a little cold. He had a shot and he's taking medicine so yeah, he's okay. He did ask where you were though. Since you guys had so much fun watching baseball at the park last week, I meant." Lola blurted as she bit her lower lip and looked up at Steve who chuckled and then said "It was fun.. Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

"Maybe.. The summer league games are usually really good. I go to 'em." Lola said as she looked at him and then smiled a little then asked "Why were you nervous? I mean I'm nothin special, really."

"Out of practice." he admitted with a chuckle as they sat down and talked about their week so far, watched a few television shows, Lola explaining the plot of whatever soap opera she was watching to him, none of it still making any sense to Steve.

Only on television would things be so damn complicated, he figured.

"So.. Wanna stay for supper? It's not gonna be much, but I'd like the company." Lola admitted as he smiled and nodded.

Maybe doing things his way was going to work out for him after all.

Tony's taunts came back to him and for once, they only made him laugh. He didn't need Tony's so called expert advice because if he had to say so himself, he wasn't doing that damn badly at attempting to pursue Lola.

And he knew now that yes, that's what he was trying to do. He wanted to get to know her and see where things might go.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

_WALK YOU HOME_

The diner was just closing and she'd just stepped out into the muggy hot night air, glad to be done with work for another day. About halfway to her car she heard her name being called from behind her which made her stop and turn her head. Steve stood down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, waving to her. She raised a brow and wondered for a split second what made him show up to the diner tonight, but then she remembered what he'd said the night before during their phone call, when she'd told him she was walking to work today, that she worked until the diner closed at night. He'd offered to walk her home, insisted, actually, but she'd told him calmly that she was a grown woman, she could handle walking a block or two.

Truth be told, she didn't really much care for walking to her townhouse in the dark, but she knew she had to suck it up. She couldn't afford a cab because her car was in the shop being worked on yet again and she had to have money to pay her best friend Brianne for babysitting Benji during the day when she worked such long shifts and while she was in class.

"Hey! I thought you were just being nice." Lola said as she jogged towards him, face flushed, smile on her face. He chuckled and then shaking his head replied calmly, "I told you last night, Lola.. There's no reason for you to walk home in the dark."

"I have mase.. And I know these streets, Steve, I coulda handled it. I just... I didn't wanna be an inconvenience." she insisted, looking up at him as she caught her breath from the jogging and with a laugh said "Wow.. I'm really in worse shape than I thought, huh? I used to play soccer, that little bit of running woulda been nothing to me back then. Feels like I just jogged a mile up hill now." which made him chuckle and say in a casual tone, "If you'd get up early and come on a run with me in the morning."

"I'd die before you ever got tired. I can see it now, supersoldier." Lola teased with a friendly wink as she asked him "You sure I didn't interrupt anything? Other plans maybe? With that girl, what's her damn name?"

"You mean Natasha? Nope. She's a team mate. Besides, I kind of think she and this other agent, Clint have something going on privately." Steve mused as Lola looked at him for a moment, looked like she'd say something and then remained silent only muttering a simple "Oh." as they walked towards her townhouse. "How's Benji?" Steve asked, wondering if the poor kid was still sick or not, he'd been sick earlier in the week when Steve finally got sick of going crazy with Lola on his mind and decided to call her then go see her.

And then he'd decided that yes, he did want to pursue her. He wanted to make the most of his second shot at life because it wasn't a guaranteed thing if he really stopped and thought about it. Dr. Banner and the other scientists at SHIELD had no way of knowing if the serum would keep him this well preserved for the rest of his life or one day, he'd wake up an old man.

They'd been running tests though and so far, all seemed well.

"Benji's good. I mean he's still a little sick, he ran a low fever for about an hour this morning but other than that, I think that he's about to kick this cold's butt. I'll be glad. I can't stand to see my little guy sick or hurting and he hates being sick." Lola stated as she looked at him and smiled then asked "So.. How'd work go today?"

Steve laughed. This was the biggest reason he'd realized that he felt drawn to Lola. She didn't treat him special and he liked that. She treated him like a normal guy. That, above all, was what he wanted more than anything else. He just wanted to feel normal. He knew it wouldn't ever happen given the fact that he'd went down for his ice nap in the 40's and awakened almost 70 years in the future, but around Lola, and in his apartment, the few times he'd visited Peggy or the few times he'd been to Lola's home, he felt as close to normal as one in his situation got.

It was nice to have a friend who didn't treat you any differently than they would someone else. It took a lot of stress out of the whole situation. Even though the fact remained that Steve knew now that he wanted more than just friendship with Lola. But he was going to take his time and do things the right way, prove to her he was interested in her and not just as a passing thing or a phase or novelty.

He really thought he could slowly be falling for her. And she flirted back, so it wasn't entirely outside of the realm of possibility that she at least felt a little bit for him too. They hadn't actually talked about it. But when the time was good enough, they would.

"Work was work.. You know how it is." Steve answered after a few moments, smiling at her, a teasing gleam in his eyes. She nodded and said "It is what it is. If it matters, Steve.. Don't think I could do what you do every day without strangling one or more people. Hell, I barely get along with the new waitress here. Guess I'm just not a people kinda gal." with a casual shrug. He laughed and then said "If it's the waitress I think you're talking about.. Not entirely sure I blame you on that. She did seem a little less focused on work, more on who was coming in and out."

"Mhmm, and you missed it today while you were off having your secret meetings.. Johnny gave her a piece of his mind. She sulled up and stormed out. If she doesn't come in tomorrow, guess we'll be hiring... Again.. It's only the third new girl we'll have lost in as many months. I don't get why they can't just wait the tables, clean up their workstations and leave all that other crap until after. But hey, I'm weird."

Steve shook his head and laughing said "Actually, I don't think so at all. I agree. I bet it was funny though, Johnny seems like the kind of guy who doesn't get mad often, but when he does, he lets people know it." as Lola nodded and said with a laugh "He does. I've only really seen him blow up three times in the time I've known him.. One of those times was a poker game with my gramps." as they turned down an alley. She jumped as she heard something move and Steve laughed then said "It's probably just a cat or something." as Lola nodded, tried her best to get her mind off of where it went before stating quietly, " Yeah? Well I'm not really that sure how I feel about cats. More of a dog girl." which made Steve nod and smile. "What's wrong with a cat though?"

Lola shrugged and said with a laugh, "I don't know really. I had one once, it seemed to like scratchin me." looking up at him. Their eyes met and he held her gaze, rubbed her arms a little and then asked "Did it really scare you just now?"

"Not so much scared as I was ready to turn around and knock Daniel's head clean off his shoulders." Lola admitted. They knew enough about one another now to know that Daniel was a worry of hers. He hated the guy and just hoped that one day he'd get his hands on him, but he left that unsaid. And he worried about her living by herself because of how she'd told him Daniel was. But of course, she insisted that she had a handgun hidden away safely, she knew how to defend herself and she wasn't above calling the police if need be.

Still didn't stop him from wanting to get his hands on this Daniel guy.

"Ahh." Steve said as they walked up the stairs, stood in front of the doorway that lead into her townhouse. She looked at him and smiled then said with a laugh, "So... Thanks for walking me.. This is me.. Wanna come in for a little while? I think there's some left over meatloaf that's not half bad." which made him laugh and nod, smile at her. "I'd like that."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

_Block Party  
_

The block she lived on had a block party every year for Memorial Day. Lola was usually either working or she'd have went to them more often. But the block party this year fell on a weekend she actually had off from work. Since Benji was a little older now, -the last time she'd been able to go to the Memorial Day Block Party he'd been a newborn and the heatwave that year had been too much to get him out in- and she had the time off, she woke up that morning with the idea in her mind to go to this one.

Sitting at her kitchen table she could already smell barbecue grills up and down the block firing up, she could hear the carefree laughter of her neighbors on either side of her townhouse drifting in through her kitchen's little window, which she'd opened to let the breeze that blew outside into the house. She stood and walked to the window, peered out and waved at Brianna who was already outside with her own kid. Brianna called out lazily, "You gonna come out or am I gonna have to come in and drag your ass out?"

"When Benji wakes up, Bri." Lola said as she laughed and held up a cup of iced coffee then said "Just trying to finish the whole waking up process. So... What kinda stuff are they gonna have out later?" which Brianna shrugged to answer and then called out "Any chance you're gonna see that man again today?" which had Lola thinking.. She wasn't sure, Steve had said something about maybe coming by later, but she figured that his job being what it was, he might not make it. Besides, it was hardly like a man ever actually kept his promises where she was concerned, though she was fast learning that if Steve Rogers said something or promised to do something then more often than not, and despite all dire straits he might be in, he kept those promises.

"Don't know." she called back as Brianna pouted a moment and then walked over, her son in her arms. "Let him go wake up Benji and they can play while us mommies talk, huh?" Brianna said as Lola nodded and poured her friend an iced coffee and sat it down in front of her. "Okay, alright, so go ahead, grill me. I know you want to."

"Me? Nah.. I was just curious, that's all. If you don't wanna talk.." Brianna trailed off, pouting at her best friend. Lola gave her a dirty look and said quietly, "We're friends.. He misses her too, Brianna. I mean that's gotta be all it is." to which her friend raised a brow and said with a light laugh, "Right.. And he walked you home last week then stayed a few hours after because?"

"Because, Bri, I guess I'm easy to talk to? I don't know, hell.. I do know that we're friends."

"And you haven't even once considered anything else?" Brianna persisted, Lola looking down at her mug of coffee as her son and Brianna's son ran past, playing with their action figures, wearing superhero capes. "Case in point, Lola.. That little boy loves that man to death. He talks about him all the time. Kids know, Lola." as Lola sighed and said quietly, "I'm just.. It's hard to make a move. I'm not good at all this shit, hell.. I'm barely good at making normal conversation given what I've been through with the male species."

"Ahh.. So you have thought about you and the guy?"

"His name, Bri, is Steve."

"I know, Lola.. That just rested my case. You get awful jumpy considering you don't claim to like the guy as anything other than a friend, or that he might like you as more. Open your eyes, girl.." Brianna said just as the front door was knocked on. Lola opened the door and Steve stood in the doorway, wide awake. She looked at him and smiled, Brianna mouthed "I told you so" before saying with a wink, "Get her out of this house, Steve." and walking out the door with Hunter in her arms.

Steve looked from a flustered Lola to her friend's retreating back and asked with a chuckle, "Do I really even want to know?" as Lola laughed and shaking her head said "Just Bri being Bri. She wouldn't be Brianna if she weren't nosy as hell.. What brings you by?" which Steve shrugged and said "Nothing to do at the Towers.. Besides, I used to live around here.. I know about the block party, thought I'd come over and see if you and Benji wanted to go with me?"

"I'd like that." Lola said as she smiled at him and Benji toddled over, tugged Steve's pants legs, holding up a ball. "Ball?"

"I see that, tiger." Steve laughed as he bent to pick up the little boy, smiling at Lola who said with a shrug "He's been excited about going all morning. Now he's gonna be even more excited. So am I. This.. I mean you coming around.. It means a lot to my kid.. And to me." while she held his gaze and tried to gauge his reaction to what she said. If he had a deer in the headlights look, she figured that'd be how she'd tell that it wasn't gonna work out and that he was going to start distancing.. But to her shock, he didn't really look like he had a deer in the headlights looked. He chuckled and then said with a smile, "I feel happier around you two." seeing no reason to lie.

For once, to his shock, he didn't feel the heavy guilt he normally did when he thought about moving on, pursuing her and what Peggy might have thought or said, how it might have hurt her. Maybe he was finally starting to heal, to get over losing her and finding out she'd had this whole other life while he'd been encased in ice.

Fury might have been wrong about a lot, and he might be a bit of a dick at times, but he had gotten one thing right.. Living in the past wasn't going to get him ahead. It was only going to keep him behind. Maybe he should start living in the here and now.

"Are you ready?" Lola asked as Steve nodded and said "Yeah.. The food's just really starting to smell good. They start earlier now, huh?" he asked as Lola laughed and said "And now the block party takes up two blocks.. They've added a lot, even a few rides and a small midway thing. I mean it's not much but I always had fun."

He smiled as he tried to picture her, maybe a little older than her son, going to the block party in their neighborhood. He knew how he'd been when he'd been younger, how he'd spent at least a week excited and ready to just go spend the day outside at the block party talking and playing the games they'd had then. "Sounds like we'll have fun then." he said as he slid his arm around her shoulder and let Benji crawl from her arms to his shoulders making sure to hold onto him so that the kid didn't fall off.

"I tall." Benji clapped with glee as they set off down the sidewalk, stopping to talk to people as they passed by. He got to see Lola when she wasn't stressed out or worried about work, and he got to meet people she knew, see another side of her. And he was starting to realize that spending time with the two of them was probably the closest thing to home that he'd felt since he'd woken from his ice nap.

Lola smiled as she looked up at Steve when he was trying to throw a baseball and knock down bottles to win some plastic soldier doll Benji apparently wanted. She laughed and took a picture or two when Steve knocked all the bottles to the ground on the first try and the carnie handed Benji the soldier. "Soldier!" Benji said as Steve nodded and said with a smile, "Yeah. You got a toy soldier.. So, what do you wanna do next?"

"Goldfishie."

"Benji, mommy doesn't have a goldfish tank.." Lola started, only to have Steve shake his head and whisper, "I can find a tank when we leave." to which she nodded and then said quietly, "Thank you.. I don't think I've seen him laugh this much in a long time."

Steve smiled and then said "It's just nice to see you smiling and laughing. You have a pretty smile, you should do it more." to which Lola poked out her tongue and said "I would.. But people.."

"I know exactly what you mean. I work on the same team as one."

"Lemme guess, Stark?" Lola blurted, which made Steve laugh and a brighter smile than his usual one came easily as he said "Yeah.. How'd you know?"

"Looks like the type." Lola said as Steve chuckled and then said "Women go crazy over the guy."

"Not this one.. Let's just say I have a type and he's not it." Lola said as Steve pretended to think and then asked "So.. What is your type?" surprising himself with the way he was finally starting to feel okay enough to flirt back with her, and how easily it came when he did.

"I'll tell you later." Lola said with a mysterious wink as they continued to walk around the block party.


End file.
